Washing apparatus with multiple ascending currents



-Nov. l3, 1923.

A. JACQUELIN WASHING APPARATUS WITH MULTIPLE ASCENDING CURRENTS FiledDec. 28, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 13, 1923. 1,4733% A. JACQUELINWASHING APPARATUS WITH MULTIPLE ASGENDING GURRENTS File 28 1921 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 13, 1923.

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earse PATENT @FFEMCED ARMANI) JAGQUELIN, 033 PARIS, FRANCE.

Application filed December 28, 1921. Serial No. 525,435.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARMAND J Ao UnLIN, citizen of the Republic ofFrance, residing at 11 Avenue Pasteur, Paris, France, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in VVashing' Apparatus with MultipleAscending Currents, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had therein to the accompanying drawing. My invention relates to aseparator of exceedingly simple construction, having vertical ascendingcurrents, which makes it possible to separate in a' single operation twoproducts of different specific gravities contained in the state of amixture in any desired raw material. It is more particu larly applicableto the washing of fuels and ores, and to the recovery of useful productscontained even in a small proportion in waste products of various kinds,such as for instance ashes from steam boilers, waste products frommines, quarries and various industries.

The apparatus chiefly comprises a wash ing vat fed from a constant leveltank, this vat being in communication with a certain number of funnelsinto which are discharged the various categories obtained by a preliminary separation of the raw material to be washed, these funnelsbeing provided with adjustable overflows for discharging into the open,and which afii'ord passage to the liquid carrying the products ofsmaller specific gravit Several embodiments of the apparatus accordingto myinvention are illustrated by way of example in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1' shows in plan a general arrangement of acomplete washing apparatus, of small weight and overall dimensions,easily portable.

Figure 2 is a central longitudinal section along line 22 of Figure 1. a

Figures 3 and at are cr0ss-sections in vertical planes respectivelyalong lines 3-3 and l4 of Figure 1.

V Figure 5 is a detail view on an enlarged scale. 7 50 For the purposesof description, the various elements of the separating apparatus,

channel or chute 20, 21, 22, 23, 24c, 25

Figures 1-5, may be combined in the followmg manner: the washing vatproper, the parts which supply to this vat the products to be washed,the parts which supply the washing water and the various elements wlnchensure the discharge of the washed products.

The socalled washing vat l, is a box of parallelepiped shape, divided byvertical partitions 5, 6 into a certain number of chambers, 2, 3, l inopen communication with each other at the bottom.

Through the cover 7 of the vat pass a numas her of rectangular verticalfunnels 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 called washing funnels, arranged tandem inthe direction of the length of the vat, or in groups of two or more. Inthe construction as shown, the washing vat comprises six funnelsfollowing each other in groups of two in the direction of the length ofthe said vat, each group occupying the whole of its width.

Each funnel is provided with a variable level overflow constitutedsimply by a vertical metal sheet or plate 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 whichcan slide between two checks on one of the walls of the funnels.

One of the overflow devices is shown in detail in Figure 5; the movableplate 1 1 is provided with two elongated grooves 26 with which engagefixing screws or bolts 27.

The lower part of each funnel is widened so as to facilitate theadmission thereto of the ascending currents.

The upper part of each funnel, which is widened at the side opposite thedischarging device, is connected by a suitably inclined to the outlet ofthe sieves of a separator screen 28 of a suitable type fed by a bucketelevator 29. This screen could be preferably of light shape occupyinglittle space and I ensuring as complete removal of dust as possible anda very good separation or classification.

In choosing the width of the funnels it is necessary to take intoaccount the average size of the corresponding category of grains and metheir proportion in the whole of the raw material; this width varies inthe same direction as the said two factors. The height of the funnelsvaries in the same direction as that of the average limit speed of thecorresponding category of grains.

By limit speed is understood the uniform speed attained at the end of acertain period of time by any body dropping in a liquid; this speed is afunction of the specific gravity and of the diameter of the body inquestion, assumed to be practically spherical. The limit speed dependsmoreover on the density of the liquid, and on a special coeflicientwhich is a function of the general shape of the body.

A decanting or settling vat 3O surrounds the washing vat 1 on two of itsfaces.

The parts supplying water to the washing vat, comprise a tank 35 inwhich the level of water remains constant in spite of any possiblevariations of the output of the feed pump 36 driven by the motor .32.This tank has at the top a series of overflow channels 37 38, 39, 10, 41etc. secured to the walls of the said tank; the edges of the saidchannels are in one and the same horizontal plane, and each of themconstitutes a separate overflow. A protecting case 42 is arranged infront of the outlet of the said channels and guides the overflow waterinto the decanting or settling vat 30.

A horizontal perforated metal plate or sheet 43' extends throughout thewhole of the cross-section of the vat '35, preferably a little below theoverflows.

The vat 35 is connected to the feed pump 36 by means of a box 4A formingan extension of the upper part of the vat, into which the pump deliversat 45 direct, and without any special piping, thewater drawn direct onone of the walls of the suction vat 46.

The latter is on the other hand in communication with the part of thesettling vat 3O situated under the screen; a metal grating The washingvat l is on the other hand in .communication at its bottom at 77, withthe lip of a bucket elevator 78.

The working of the separating apparatus descrlbed in the foregoing willbe readily V understood on examining the path followed by the productsto be separated, and the circulation of the water.

The raw products are lifted by the bucket elevator 29 to the separatingscreen 28. On

leaving the said screen, the products separated into several categoriesin accordance with their diameter are conveyed by the channels 20, 21,22 23, 2 1, 25 Q to the corresponding funnels and fall into water, atthe sideopposite to the overflows,lwith a speed considerably greaterthan their limit speed, in a zone where the Water is comparatively'still owing to the widening of the upper part of the funnels atthe sideop- V lates the position of the overflow relative to the funnel insuch-a way, thatthe current of water ascending 1n this funnel has aspeed intermediate between 4) and V in that portion of the funnelhavinga constant crosssectlon, the ascending current Wlll take along thegrains of the smaller density 8 and dis- 9 charge them by the overflow,while the grains of the greater densityA will continue to fall in theopposite direction against the 7 current and will drop tothe bottom ofthe vat. Thus, one obtains the separation into two groups of differentdensities of the raw mixture admitted to the upper portions of thefunnels.

lVhen the products to be washed contain a certain proportion of fiatproducts, whichis frequently so in the case of coal, it is advisable toefiiect first a double separation, first according to the diameter andthen the thickness. This latter separation could be 7 obtained by meansof special grates or grids.

The light products of the specific gravity 6 escape with the washingwater current through the overflows 14:, 15, 16, 17 18, 19 and drop'onthe filtering sieves 50, 51, 52, 53..., then proceed to the drainingsieves 60, 61, 62, 63... and are finally discharged through the channels70, 71, 72, 73 etc. and collected outside the washing apparatus.

' 7 Some of the heavy products ofthe specific gravity A drop direct onthe" lip 77' of the bucket elevator, 78, and others'on the bottom of thewashing vat 1. These latter are thus in front of the opening 4.8establishing communication between the washing vat and its feed tank andare carried by the current of washing water into the lip 77 of thebucket elevator.

The dust coming from the screen 28,*is not washed and drops'direct intothe discharge channel 5. The same applies to the higher'category 01fpreliminary separation,

thelight products of which are removed by hand from thechannel 76, theheavy procluctsflowing to the hue rets of the elevator 7 8.

Any debris carried away by the filtering and drainage water, settlesinthesettling vat 30 and is subsequently, discharged by any suitablemeans.

The circulation of the washing water takes place in the followingmanner. The water is drawn in at 46 by the pump 36 driven by the motor32. The water is deliv ered through the union 45 into the intermediatetank 44 and thence into the constant level tank 35. The whole of theintermediate tank 44 and grating 43 of the tank 35 constitutes thus adevice deadening the water current.

Any excess water delivered by the pump 36, that would have the tendencyto change the level in the tank 35 relatively to the predeterminedlevel, is discharged into the channels 37, 38, 39, 40, 41 etc. over theedges of the latter, forming as many independent overflows, then dropsinto the settling vat 30. The overflow from the said vat is alsoreturned to the suction 46 of the pump through the metal grating 49forming a suction strainer.

In that way a substantially constant level is obtained in the tank 35.Consequently the various currents escaping under the pressure of aconstant column of water, have a great regularity of speed.

The water from the tank 35 flows through the conduit 47 and the orifice48 into the washing vat 1. There, the liquid current becomes dividedinto various ascending cur rents which pass up into each of the funnels8, 9, 10, 11, 12. These elementary currents meet the products to betreated, separate them into products of the specific gravity 8 and intoproducts of the specific gravity A, and carry away with them through theoverflows 14, 15, 16, 17, 18... the products of the specific gravity 8which are stopped by the sieves 50, 51, 52, 53... The water escapesthrough the said sieves and is collected in the settling vat.

The level of the overflows 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 being variable andadjustable at will, it is possible to regulate the speed of theascending currents which pass through the vertical funnels.

In the drawings, the overflows are sssumed to occupy the whole length ofeach funnel, but they could also occupy only a portion of the saidlength or may be arranged in the direction of the width. For those ofthe funnels, through which pass water currents of low speed,,it isadvisable in fact to reduce the width of the overflows, in order thatthe thickness of the layer of water above the said overflows shouldremain deep enough to prevent any slight instantaneous variations,always. possible, ofthenpperlevelof the orifice 48, also results indriving into the lip 77 of the bucket elevator 78, the heavy productsdeposited on the bottom of the washing vat.

The chief advantages of the washing apparatus above described are asfollows:

1. Possibility of simultaneously washing by the method of ascendingcurrents, the various categories of sizes into which it is desired toseparate, first by screening, the raw product to be washed.

2. Possibility of collecting separately or in groups of two or more, thelight categories which are the useful products when it is a question offuels.

3. Great simplicity of construction and of working.

4. Absence of any generation of dust, the path of the products beingshort, and there being no considerable shocks.

5. Combined with a special screen, with a device for a completepreliminary separation of dust, very light and consuming very littlemotive power, the washing apparatus can work in a closed circuit ofwashing liquid and be built in the form of a portable apparatuscomp-rising not only the screen 28, but also the circulating pump 36,the motor 32 and its various transmissions, the settling tank 30 and thebucket elevators 29 and 7 0 for charging the screen and discharging theheavy products.

I claim as my invent-ion:

1. In a washing apparatus with multiple ascending currents, thecombination of a constant level reservoir, a washing tank communicatingwith the said reservoir, partitions in said tank forming adjacentchambers in communication with each other at their lower ends, funnelsadapted to receive the raw mixture to be treated and mounted on the saidtank above the said chambers in free communication therewith, andoverflows adjustably mounted in the open air on the said tunnels andforming a dischargepassage for the washing medium containing theparticles of smaller density.

2; In a washing apparatus with multiple ascending currents, thecombination of a constant level reservoir, a Washing tank communicatingwith thesaid reservoir, a plurality of funnels adapted to receive theraw mixture to be treated and mounted on the said washing tank in freecommunication therewith, each'of the said funnels compris- In testimo-nwhereof I hereunto laflix my mg an expandln lower and upper portlonslgnature 11; 1316 presence of twoWitnesses.-

and i an intermefiia-te portion of constant cross-section, an overflowadjusbaflbly mounted ARMANI) JACQUELIN' 5 in the open air on each of thesaid funnels WVitnesses: and forming a discharge-passage containingLOUIS GARDET,

the particles of smaller density. I I HENRI NONIN.

